Top Gun

[Booger]

I've been looking at buying a custom boat cover and have come across a material called Top Gun, just wondering if anybody knows anything about it.
Thanks

[RANGER]

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!!!! Did I mention that I like It??? Had my cover made 4 years ago and it still looks and feels new, honest! My boat is OUT and covered ALL Summer long and it still looks GREAT and almost NO FADING. Best stuff I have ever had.

I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE!!


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD"

[RMB]

Absolutly the best! Mine is going into it's 4th season as well and still looks like new. I trailer at least 5000 miles a year and it has never torn or stretched yet. No signs of any canvas rot either. Worth every penny I paid for it. Oh, like Ranger said....did I mention I like it? Been through a lot of covers before but never had one that takes this kind of abuse. Only one more thing to say....GO for it!

[eyewinder]

What's the material -- aqualon (sic)? Is Top Gun a manterial or a brand name? Just wonderin. . .

[Grey Wolf]

Had Top Gun cover on my last boat. It was a good cover, but failr abrasive. The guy that made it for me line the interior of the cover for me with a cotton canvas so that it would not scratch my glass boat. I cannot complaing about the Top Gun material, however the new boat is getting an Aqualon Cover, it is already lined. Both are excellent material.

[RANGER]

To answer your question, BOTH. It is a Brand Name and it is a different material similar to Sunbrella. However, a buddy of mine had a cover made for his boat 2 months after I did mine. His was made from Sunbrella and it doesn't look at all as good as mine. From the beginning, if he was driving at highway speeds, in a driving hard rain, he got some water in. Sitting in his yard and having a horizontal Summer thunderstorm, he would get water. Mine NEVER did and we have similar boats and made by the same shop - they give you a selection of (I think) 5 fabrics: Cotton canvas, Top Gun, Sunbrella, a polyester and a vinyl.

If you have a glass boat it is wise to have an inner liner of softer material sewn in at the gunwale to avoid abrasion as Grey Wolf stated. Even at that, I would absolutely recommend it! Other than the stuff I have already stated; when that cover is on the boat it NEVER flaps in the wind and is NEARLY as taught as shrink-wrap. No kidding, dang nice product!


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD"

[Booger]

What did you guys pay for yours? I was quoted $400 - $425 for my 17' Crestliner Fishawk.
Thanks

[Jim]

On my last boat I had a custom snap cover made out of Top Gun material when the boat was new. I traded the boat in November. The cover was slightly faded. This was after SEVEN seasons, 4 of which the boat was out side with the cover on it from May through October. It was so easy to use we put the cover on every night!!!! No shrink or strech. Absolutly fantastic !!!!!!!!!!! I only wish that the cover would fit the new boat. Darn, I will have to pay for another new one. Even at $750 including a motor cover, spare tire cover, and custom stipes, I would not have the boat without it. A lot of money but worth every penny. Oh by the way did I mention that I thought this was a good cover?

[Grey Wolf]

Booger

$400 - $450 is in line for a 17' Custome cover. I mentioned the cover I had that was for a 17 1/2' boat. I think it was a base price, few buck to go over wackers, few buck for cotton lining, few bucks for sewn in nylon straps with buckles, and it ran aroun $400 4 years ago. The new cover I am lookign at out of hte Aqualon runs about 650, but both are worth every penny!

[Grey Wolf]

Booger

$400 - $450 is average. I paide $425 - $450 for my cover 4 years ago. That was a base price pluse a few buck to go over wackers, few bucks to add cotton lining, few bucks for sewn in nylon straps with plastic buckles. Customn covers are worth every penny!

[Grey Wolf]

Sorry man, I can't type or post today

[Gunga Din]

Ditto the above post. I have a Top Gun cover and it is bullet proof. I store my boat outside and the cover protects it well and keeps it dry. Seams, of course, allow water to leak through, so make sure your cover doesn't pool water.

Another nice feature not mentioned is that Top Gun is virtually tear-proof. If you puncture sunbrella, it rips easily. But you can reef on top gun and it still won't tear easily.

I don't tow with my top gun cover because it has motor covers built in that I'm afraid will scratch my cowl.

I paid $550 for my Tyee 1950 with motor covers.

[RANGER]

Booger,

That's about right. My boat is an 18 footer. I had the cover made with an attached big motor cover and a separate, matching cover for the kicker and it was $480. I'd gladly pay it again without thinking about it at all. I also had all of my top covers made with Top Gun.

I'm about to buy another boat that has a custom cover only 2 yrs old. I don't believe it is Top Gun. If it isn't, come next Spring it WILL have a Top Gun cover! No, I don't have bottomless pockets but that cover totally relieved my mind of any nightmares of water getting in and mildewing the boat, blowing off, blowing a hole in it at speeds, etc. I think it is WORTH it. I feel that strongly about the product. And, to top all of this off - IT BREATHS!! Water stays out but can escape if trapped.


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD"

[RMB]

I paid $410 for mine and it's custom fit for my 18 FT. Alumacraft. One thing mentioned above. It can be abrasive. I dont have any issues with my boat finish, but my motor cover rubbed the paint off the lower part of my motor where the wind was moving it back and forth. I went back to the shop where it was made and they made me a seperate soft cloth motor cover to put on first under the main cover and it's worked great.

[reddog]

I have a 1750 Crestliner Tournament series, with a custom Crestliner cover. I recently installed a gps module on the rear gunwhale, and while towing to my last fishing destination, I found a white residue under the cover where the module is. Should I be concerned about this type of wear on the top of the gps module, or not? I do not know what the material is.

[RANGER]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-16-01 AT 02:44PM (CST)[p]Gunga Din,

Your seams leak?? Mine haven't, at all. Have you tried the tent seam sealers like Coleman's? That is a nice product, too.

Man, aren't these Top Gun products a Godsend? Since I have had that cover my brain thinks that the boat is in the "INDOORS" year 'round. I never worry about it! Not even in the worst storms, driving in them or not.

Have your shop make a cloth covering hood for your motors to be placed underneath the Top Gun cover. There is nothing better than to pull your boat covered! More streamlined, better fuel economy and clean!

I drive about 120 miles to fish Erie for a weekend. Many times we drive through rain or thunderstorms on the way. It is clear when we get to the Marina and I have a dry boat to fish out of! I REALLY like that aspect, too!


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD"

[Gunga Din]

I've thought about a seam sealer, but haven't felt like putting that much effort into it yet. I just tent up the bow (I have a Tyee), and the back part of the boat, if done up tightly, runs all the water off. And I shovel snow off it with one of my kids' plastic shovels after each storm.

I also have the sunbrella snap-on cover and the vinyle bow cover that I use when towing. So it's still covered, and it's easier to remove the covers for fishing. I often go alone or with my young kids, and that big Top-Gun cover is tough to put on alone, especially if there's wind. But you're right, it would be more weather proof in-tow with the Top-Gun cover.

I had a couple vents sewed into my cover so moisture can escape (Utah is arid). They're in the lee of the windshield so no weather gets in, and they have mesh openings to restrict spindrift from blowing in during those winter storms.

The cover gives me peace-of-mind when storing the boat outside.

[Mcfish]

Sounds like a great cover, where can you buy these.
Thanks

[RANGER]

My understanding is that this is a product obtained for, and distributed to "shops", such as cover makers. I have never heard of the product being available at the retail level, such us a catalog, Wal-Mart, etc. Try a shop in your area. They're in the Yellow Pages under "awnings", "boat" or "boat covers".

Depending on where you are I can give you the shop where I have had mine made, if you're close to North Western Pa. The "Company" is an Amish family, a REAL Amish family and their workmenship is outstanding!


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD"